In a dramatic escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive for “powerful strikes” on Gaza has drawn fresh accusations of war crimes from human rights organizations, even as the move threatens to unravel the Abraham Accords—the cornerstone of the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace legacy.
Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza for a second consecutive night after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to execute “powerful strikes” in retaliation for a barrage of 47 rockets fired from the Strip earlier today—marking the most intense 24-hour exchange since the 2021 war.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed 38 airstrikes targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad infrastructure, including a multi-story intelligence headquarters in Gaza City’s Rimal district and a weapons depot beneath a school in Jabalia (evacuated hours prior, per IDF claims). Satellite imagery verified by Reuters shows at least 14 structures fully collapsed.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports 41 Palestinians killed and 178 wounded since Wednesday evening, including 11 children and 6 women.
